IMERSS biodiversity informatics working group and
ecocultural mapping team
April 30th, 2024
Welcome
Tth’ihwum m’i ‘ewu i’ Xetthecum sii’em. Welcome to
Xetthecum, an ecologically and culturally significant place on
Galiano Island, which lies within the Salish Sea. Known as Retreat Cove
in English, this is a place endeared to many. Elders and community
members have shared their stories of these cherished lands and waters,
while others have helped to document the many species that make their
home here. Our aim with this story map is to engage you all as visitors,
to learn about the rich biodiversity and cultural values of this special
place, so that you can contribute to restoring and protecting it.
Bird’s eye view of Xetthecum
The Caves at Xetthecum
Many people know about the sandstone caves of Xetthecum, which
attract people in large numbers throughout the year. However, few are
aware that this area holds great cultural significance to
Puneluxutth’ and other Hul’q’umi’num-speaking peoples,
and that the caves are of particular spiritual importance. Over the last
decade, the caves have become an increasingly popular tourist
destination, and are consequently becoming degraded by vandalism and
overuse. Concerned community members hope that the caves might some day
be protected. Until then, this sacred site remains at serious risk of
being irreversibly damaged.
Caves at Xetthecum
Respect and Protect
“We must protect the food sources. There are a lot of foods and
medicines that are no longer there anymore.”* Puneluxutth’
elder Thiyaas (Florence James)
Puneluxutth’ elders hold a deep and ancient knowledge about the
plants, animals, places and ceremonies of their people, and have
emphasized the need to protect and respect important cultural places
such as the caves at Xetthecum. We encourage you to enjoy the
beauty and serenity of this place, while respecting the need to protect
it from overuse and damage. Please respect all signage, do not trespass,
and know that with these actions you are participating in the important
work of reconciliation. Thank you. Huy’ch’qa!
Land Acknowledgement
In the spirit of respect and gratitude, we acknowledge that
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove), Galiano Island lies within the
trans-boundary region of the Salish Sea, a diverse bioregion that has
been tended to and cherished by Coast Salish peoples since time
immemorial. Galiano Island is held within the shared, asserted, and
unceded traditional territories of the Puneluxutth’,
Lamalcha, and Hwlitsum First Nations, as well as the
shared, asserted, and ceded traditional territories of Tsawwassen First
Nation. We also acknowledge the territories of all other
Hul’q’umi’num-speaking peoples who hold rights and
responsibilities in this region.
This project is a work in progress and we are learning and fumbling
together as we go. Please be in touch with us with any thoughts,
questions or ideas regarding what you see here.
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove), Galiano Island, BC, Canada
Xetthecum
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove), Galiano Island, BC, Canada
To some, the area known as Xetthecum refers strictly to
Retreat Cove. Yet in the landscape context, where everything is
connected, its boundaries might be expanded to include the greater
extent of the Greig Creek Watershed, including the creek which runs from
Laughlin Lake to the cove. This watershed spans residential and
agricultural lands, protected and covenanted areas, as well as public
amenities such as a shore access and public dock. Complex in its
ecology, cultural history, and contemporary land-use, this landscape is
a vibrant mosaic with many intersecting ways of life, weaving together
both human and more-than-human worlds.
From here, you are welcome to explore Xetthecum’s ecological
communities, including their biodiversity and cultural values as shared
by community members, or continue along the lines of this narrative by
clicking the right arrow.
Let’s show the legend here with links to the different ecological
community maps; that way those separate ecological communities need not
be made a part of the narrative.
“We must protect the food sources. There are a lot of foods and
medicines that are no longer there anymore.”
Puneluxutth’ elder Thiyaas (Florence James)
Puneluxutth’ elder Thiyaas (Florence James) and her
family gathered an array of resources from this place, including
berries, fruit, and shellfish as well as medicinal resources. These
cultural practices are shared throughout this story map, including:
Fish and Shellfish Harvesting
Plant Harvesting
Gathering Medicine
Puneluxutth’ elders hold sacred and spiritual knowledge
regarding certain plants, animals, places and ceremonies of their
people, much of which has not been included on this website. This
knowledge will be passed down only to those with the rights and training
to be able to receive it and use it safely and appropriately.
Life at the Cove: Retreat Cove
Xetthecum is of great historical and cultural significance for
the Puneluxutth’, once serving as a site for seasonal resource
gathering as well as cultural and spiritual rituals and practices. For
those who arrived here by canoe, however, the cove was of foremost
importance as a place of refuge, where one could find calmer waters
during a storm. The cove and surrounding offshore waters provide habitat
for a great diversity of fishes such as the’wun (coho), which
also made it an important fishing site. Today, however, Retreat Cove
lies within a marine protected area, to protect endangered rockfish from
over-fishing.
Beyond a place of refuge and fish, Retreat Cove opened up on an
important source of freshwater, as well as opportunities for resource
gathering and travel. Lying at the narrowest point on the island, a
shore-to-shore footpath connected Retreat Cove with Cable Bay, allowing
over-land travel across the island. This story map follows this trail,
beginning with the rich abundance of marine life found at the cove,
before following in the footsteps of Thiyas (Florence James)
and her family up Greig Creek to Laughlin Lake.
Landing at Retreat Cove with her family, Thiyas recalled that
stsa’kwum (surf smelts) would go by and move in circles, while
the seagulls swooped and dived trying get them.
“I used to spend time up in Xetthecum with my grandparents
visiting with friends and picking berries and fruit. Sometimes we would
anchor in there if we had to when we were on the boats.”
Rosemary Georgeson
Xetthecum was important for social and cultural gatherings, as
well as for traditional activities such as fishing and clam digging.
Lorne Silvey
Life at the Cove: Delta (past)
Greig Creek delta
The Greig Creek delta was once home to clam gardens, which were an
important food source for the Puneluxutth’. Clam digging, thus,
was an important cultural activity at Xetthecum. Littleneck
clams (skw’lhey) were
harvested from the delta during the spring and summer night tides. Other
marine life, such as butter clams (s-axwa’), and basket
cockles (stl’ula’um), were
also gathered at Xetthecum. The shellfish were laid over top of
kelp (bull kelp, q’am’) and then
stepped on to get the water out; ironwood (oceanspray, qethulhp) was singed in
the fire, used to poke the clams, and then stuck in the mud by the fire
to cook them. Western red cedar (xpey’) bark was made into
string/rope which was used to string up clams by the fire. After they
were cooked we would smoke the shellfish. Octopus (xelex uwe) was
speared, usually at night.
Today, the Greig Creek delta is dominated by Pacific oysters
The delta at Xetthecum has changed dramatically since the days
of stories recounted by Thiyas. Once rich with a great variety
of shellfish, today the area is largely dominated by the invasive
Pacific oyster (tl’uxwtl’uxw), which
Thiyas did not recall observing when she visited this place
with her family in the past.
Lying between the mouths of Greig Creek (Hwta’loonèts) and
Davidson Creek, the eelgrass beds at Xetthecum are an important
marine ecological community. Eelgrass is a foundation species that
creates a complex marine habitat, providing shelter for a large number
of species – from microscopic bacteria and algae to crabs, fishes and
birds at higher trophic levels. The eelgrass beds at Xetthecum
form a saltwater (kw’atl’kwa) nursery home to juvenile salmon
and lhumuq’e’ (sole), as well as spawning ground for slhewut’ (Pacific herring).
They also provide foraging habitat for numerous invertebrates and many
larger creatures, including great blue heron (smuq’wa) and geese
(ey’x).
Eelgrass meadows, bull kelp (q’am’) beds, and
coastal marshes are massive carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide at a
rate of up to 90 times that of forests on land. Protection and
conservation of these areas is thus important not only for biodiversity
and marine species health, but also for global climate change
mitigation.
’Imush Q’uyatl’un
Eelgrass meadows are home to the hooded nudibranch (q’uyatl’un). The short film
I’mush q’uyatl’un follows the movements of this sea slug as it
dances through the water during a receding tide. In the film,
q’uyatl’un dances to a Puneluxutth’ song titled,
Imush ’Q’uyatl’un (“Be with me Seaslug”), and is accompanied by
text written by Karolle Wall. It is a simple story, which explains the
importance of moving slowly, paying attention, and observing every
little aspect of the environment. It is a video that draws attention to
an animal who is rarely observed – an animal whose intertidal landscape
is severely threatened.
The Hul’qumi’num name for ‘creek’ is Hwta’loonèts, as
shared by Thiyas, who recounted her memories of
Xetthecum. Known as Greig Creek in English, this watercourse
runs from Laughlin Lake to Retreat Cove, and would have provided an
important freshwater source for seafaring Coast Salish peoples.
Historical evidence dating to the late 1980s suggests that the Greig
Creek watershed may have once supported a run of Coho salmon, an
important source of food for the Puneluxutth’. However, the
watercourse has been severely degraded by intensive agricultural and
logging practices. In the mid 1990s, a local educator by the name of
Lynn Scott initiated a project, Salmon in the Classroom, to
release Coho and Chum salmon fry to Hwta’loonèts with the help
of youth at the Galiano School (now the Galiano Community School).
Today, the Galiano Conservancy Association continues these efforts in
collaboration with schools throughout the region.
Walking to Xatsa’, Laughlin Lake
Laughlin Lake, Galiano Island
Thiyas’ and her family would gather edible and medicinal plants
throughout the Greig Creek watershed, from Retreat Cove to Laughlin
Lake. Thiyaas recalled gathering kwumsuli’qw (mushrooms) and tlu’siip) (licorice
fern root) from q’um’-unulhp
(bigleaf maple) near Retreat Cove. Blackberries (trailing blackberry, sqw’’iil’muhw or Himalayan
blackberry were picked at Retreat Cove, and beyond, all the way up to
Lighthouse Road. The family would wake at 5 am with granny and walk to
collect the berries.
The lake, however, remained an especially important destination for a
selection of wetland plant species. Laughlin Lake is part of a complex
wetland ecosystem supporting a diversity of plant life, including
culturally significant species like cattail (stth’e’qun) and fireweed
(xáts’et).
The base of the stth’e’qun plant can be eaten, and looks like
celery. When you cut the top to use the bulrush, you can use the root as
a vegetable. It was also used for creating mats. Xats’et was
used for stuffing sleep mats. Today it can be found along Retreat Cove
Road and at Laughlin Lake. Thiyaas and her family would
sometimes travel to Retreat Cove in the racing canoe. They would pull in
near Retreat Island and Thiyaas’ grandfather would walk up to
Laughlin Lake for medicine. At other times the whole family would gather
traditional medicines at Laughlin Lake, including , a species that no
longer occurs on Galiano Island.
Although heavily modified, Laughlin Lake and its associated riparian
areas provide critical habitat for species like black-tailed deer (ha’put)
and red-legged frog.
Ecological Communities - Hwuiumqa’ / Marine
Surrounded by water, the residents, visitors and non-resident property
owners of Galiano Island see the ocean as intrinsic to living and loving
life on this island. Sightings of q’ul-lhanamutsum (orca whales)
and other marine mammals are treasured hallmarks of island life.
However, for many community members, the ocean is first and foremost a
source of food and livelihood. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people
on Galiano enjoy fish such as thuqi’ (sockeye salmon), haan (pink
salmon), tuqwtuqw (red snapper) and t’q’as (rockfish in general). Also
prized are tl’uxwtl’uxw
(oysters), s-axwa’
(clams), kwuneem’mun’, (scallops), ey’x (dungeness crabs), thikwt (sea
cucumber) and seaweeds & algaes such as lhuq’us (red laver).
Thiyas (Florence James) shared that e s-hw (seal) has also been
prized as a dark meat.
Xetthecum (Retreat Cove/Island) is one of the few marine
locations on the shoreline of Galiano itself that has been an important
place for fishing and harvesting shellfish. Its desirability as a
habitat for rockfish in particular has since become so notable that it
has been designated a marine protected area—in which fishing is
banned—in order to conserve these long-lived species that are slow to
reproduce. As the tide is not too fast, Xetthecum was once also
a good area for other creatures, such as clams, pun’eq’ (geoduck) and dog
fish. It is important that community members are able to harvest and
consume these foods without getting sick, therefore the environmental
health of the ocean is vital.
Culturally significant beaches and shorelines on Galiano Island, such as
those near Xetthecum are used as places to congregate for
picnics, social events, ceremonial sites, and as food gathering sites by
local First Nations peoples. Bays, inlets, and coves like
Xetthecum are also a place of safe harbour during storms, or
places to moor one’s boat during winters.
Many, if not all, of the Indigenous families associated with Galiano
have been fishing since time out of mind. The Seafood Fest has been an
extremely significant annual cultural event for decades primarily
because so many of the island’s inhabitants have been passing down the
skills, knowledge and secret locations of where to find the best sources
of seafood for generations. Unfortunately, due to overfishing,
destruction of marine habitat, pollution and other industrial causes,
the bounty of the sea has become so limited that few members of the next
generation can make a living fishing, and most of the menu for the
Seafood Fest now has to be purchased from elsewhere.
In the past, no one would ever reveal the locations of where to harvest
seafood, but now this is merely a list of where these creatures once
were. Locations of significance include Porlier Pass for rockfish,
Pinnacle Rock on the south side of Porlier Pass for lingcod, and Walker
Hook off of Saltspring for rockfish. As for salmon, Cable Bay was once a
good location for chum salmon, as was Enterprise Reef off of Mayne
Island, and other waters off Valdes Island. Yet many fishing areas that
have been important for Indigenous community members on Galiano over the
past hundred years are much farther away, necessitating long periods of
time that families are separated. The closest of these locations include
the west coast of Vancouver Island such as Jordan River, Race Rocks, San
Juan Harbour near Port Renfrew, and areas near River’s Inlet to the
Skeena.
Ecological Communities - Thuthiqut / Forests
Shaped by interactions between water, soil, terrain, climate and the
multitudes of beings that live within them, forests are a sanctuary for
hundreds of thousands of species of plants, fungi, mammals, birds,
insects and microorganisms. Forests provide shelter, clean water, and
food, the foundations for a complex web of life in which we are
intricately connected. Humans have been stewarding forests on Galiano
since time out of mind, in order to ensure key species that we depend on
can flourish and help us thrive.
Dry ridges or steep southwest facing slopes with nutrient poor, shallow
soils tend to be dominated by a mix of gnarled ts’sey
(Douglas-fir) and qaanlhp (arbutus), and
shrubby species such as lulutth’sulhp (dull
oregon grape) or xwiinlhp (baldhip rose),
all of which provide medicine. These drier ecological communities are
mapped as woodlands in this map.
Moister forests are characterized by towering ts’sey
(Douglas-fir) and robust xpey’ (western red cedar),
which is known as the ‘tree of life’, as it can provide essential
material for everything from ocean-worthy canoes, to rot-resistant
buildings, beautiful carvings, and woven rain hats. The most valuable
xpey’ for these purposes are old growth trees, which are allowed to grow
slowly for hundreds of years in order to provide fine and clear-grained
bark for weaving and wood for carving. Traditional Indigenous harvesting
methods of only taking a strip of bark or plank of wood from one side
can allow such trees to survive, heal and continue growing. The
understory in this type of forest is dominated by plants that can grow
in symbiosis with the fungicide xpey’ releases into the soil to
discourage competition from other plants. This type of forest is often
thick with t’eqe’
(salal) and suniiulhp (tall oregon
grape), both of which provide nutritious berries, as well as sthxélem (sword fern),
which is a spiritually significant plant that also provides fiddleheads
as a special winter treat.
These older forests are models of complexity, exhibiting a vast
diversity of composition (the parts), structure (the arrangement of the
parts), and function (how the parts interact with one another). Big ts’alhulhp (bigleaf
maple) that are covered in moss offer habitat for other culturally
significant species, such as tl’usiip (licorice
fern), which Thiyas shared can be used as a sweetener: if one
gently lifts the moss with your pinky to reveal the root, the licorice
fern root can be rinsed, chopped up, mixed with berries and placed on a
board in the sun to dry. If it is flipped the next day to dry the other
side, this can be kept to have on hand.
In mature and old growth forests, trees are present in all stages of
their life cycles including standing dead snags and fallen debris, large
or small—providing critical habitat for culturally significant species
such as yuxwule’ (bald
eagle) and ha’put
(black tailed deer). Forests are valued for hunting ha’put from
September to October, although Thiyas cautions that we should
not hunt females or hunt after the rut, but wait until after the
ironwood (qethulhp)
blooms turned brown. The first deer hunted was always shared as a
ritual; each species had rules and rituals. It is tradition to bring an
elder a piece of meat from hunting, just as one shared the first fish
caught during seafood harvests.
Ecological Communities - Tl’elhumqa’ / Freshwater
Healthy wetlands, lakes and streams are havens for humans and wildlife
alike, providing critical habitat and a source of freshwater. A
diversity of plant life, bacteria and insects thrive in these
ecosystems, forming complex food webs that support many culturally
important species, such as stseelhtun (salmon). Thuqi’ (sockeye salmon)
and haan (pink salmon) are two types of salmon favoured by Indigenous
community members on Galiano. In addition, the enhanced growth and
forest structure found in riparian areas provides necessary cover for
wildlife, which is also important for culturally significant activities
such as hunting and birdwatching. Ha’put
(black tailed deer) and smuqw’a’ (great
blue heron) depend on freshwater areas for food and water.
Wetlands on Galiano include lakes, shallow water, swamps, marshes, wet
meadows, fens, and bog communities, many of which are represented in the
watershed that flows into Xetthecum. Swamps and riparian areas
include flood-tolerant trees such as xpey’ (western red cedar)
which “like to have their feet wet”, kwulala’ulhp (red alder), whose
inner bark offers a source of emergency food in the spring, and swele’ulhp (willow), which is
useful for making fish traps. Other helpful plants that grow here
include stth’e’qun
(cattail) which provides a useful source of materials for both binding
and insulation, sxum’xum’ (horsetail),
which makes a yellow brown dye and ts’a’kw’a’ (skunk
cabbage) which can be used to wrap food to keep it fresh. These areas
are prized for berry-picking and gathering other edible and medicinal
plants such as lila’
(salmonberry), t’uqwum’ (thimbleberry),
t’eqe’ (salal), suniiulhp (Oregon
grape), sqw’uqwtsus (red
huckleberry) and me’uwhulhp (Labrador tea).
Colonial settlers began to alter Galiano’s landscape in the late 1800’s
in ways that were very different from the strategies used by pre-contact
First Nations communities. Instead of respecting the integrity of
streams, wetlands and riparian areas and honouring the role that sqwul’ew’ (beaver) play
in revitalizing freshwater ecosystems, these areas have been focal
points for resource extraction, agriculture, logging, construction,
transportation and waste disposal.
Ecological Communities - Shthuliim / Woodlands
Often known as Garry Oak Meadow ecosystems, a decolonized perspective
prioritizes not the largest or most visually obvious species, P’hwulhp (Garry oak -
named for a Hudson’s Bay Company officer, Nicholas Garry, by botanist
David Douglas), but instead the most culturally significant species, speenhw (blue camas).
Fields of speenhw have been cultivated for thousands of years by First
Nations Camas Keepers throughout this region, creating a unique
ecosystem that is not found anywhere else in the world. Like
speenhw, stl’ults’uluqw’us
(chocolate lily), are very beautiful and edible. T’uliqw’ulhp
(yarrow) is another culturally significant species prized for its
medicinal qualities.
Puneluxutth’ elder Thiyaas (Florence James) calls this
type of ecosystem shthuliim: “a beautiful meadow with cushions
for your feet made of moss, tender growth, grass…” She adds that
p’hwulhp (Garry Oak) was made crooked by the creator so that
its branches are useless to people and it will be left alone, and
mentions that the presence of p’hwulhp is evidence that the
land is being taken care of. Thiyaas told us that pheasant,
quail, and grouse were once a lot more abundant in these woodland meadow
environments, and that they used to be a regular part of Indigenous
people’s diets in this area. Thiyaas used to collect fawn lilies and ti’tuqw-el’tun’
(lady slippers) for her mother. “That was just our joy”… but there is
not enough to collect anymore.”
In addition to p’hwulhp (Garry oaks) which provide medicinal
bark, camas meadow ecosystems may also include scattered qaanlhp (arbutus),
which provide medicinal bark and leaves as well as edible berries. While
they prefer wetter areas, occasionally other trees can survive in camas
meadows, such as ts’alhulhp (bigleaf
maple) which can provide leaves to flavour camas pit cook feasts, edible
flowers and medicinal shoots, sap and cambium, and ts’sey (Douglas-fir),
which is valued for many uses such as tools, poles and its pitch. The
Garry oak understory, often referred to as meadowland or savannah, is
largely comprised of grasses, forbs and shrubby vegetation.
Camas meadows on Galiano are critically important to maintaining the
island’s biodiversity. “Together, Garry oak and associated ecosystems
are home to more plant species than any other terrestrial ecosystem in
coastal British Columbia. Many of these species occur nowhere else in
Canada. Collectively, Garry oak ecosystems are among the most endangered
in Canada – less than 5% of the original habitat remains in a
near-natural condition.” (GOERT, 2003) On Galiano, Garry oak and
associated ecosystems are generally limited to steep, south-southwest
facing slopes and shoreline areas. They tend to occur in areas with very
dry shallow soils or that are too exposed to wind and sun for forest
ecosystems to flourish.